Fresh Loaf

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (reviewed here) opens in theaters today. It’s the third film in Brendan Fraser’s Mummy series, not counting the spin-off The Scorpion King, and if you like the kind of sequels in which characters say “Here we go again!” it should be right up your sarcophagus.

I’ve noticed that some of the geekier movie critics have pointed out that, despite all the mummy references in the dialogue, Tomb of the Dragon Emperor does not technically feature traditional “monster-mummies.” Jet Li, for instance, plays undead Emperor Han, who has a crumbling clay/metal body and power over the elements, but he’s not the kind of reanimated, guaze-bandaged mummy of vintage horror fame. The film takes inspiration from the Terracotta Army of Shi Huang Di, the real-life First Emperor of China, who was buried with thousands of terracotta statues of soldiers and horses around 210 B.C. Apparently if they come to life and cross the Great Wall of China, they’ll become indestructible warriors, too.

Coincidentally (or not), the bona fide Terracotta Army will descend on Atlanta in November when the High Museum presents the exhibit The First Emperor: China’s Terracotta Army, which showcases 100 works from the ongoing excavation. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is a pretty frantic and labored piece of entertainment, but if it inspires just one person to go to an actual museum, it’ll be worth it. Plus, visitors can rest assured that the terracotta statues won’t rise up and throw fireballs at them. Probably.

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PITCH IMPERFECT: Bush throws “high heat”; Hudson dominates but Moylan gives up walk-off homer in the ninth as Braves lose season opener in Washington’s new Nationals Park.

TRAILING OFF: Alabama footpath now connects to southern terminus of Appalachian Trail in Dawson County; Congress could officially designate it as the new ending point of the 2,500-mile trail.

COYOTES: Two caught in DeKalb after killing cats.

ISAIAH RIDER: Former Hawk charged with car theft.

R.E.M.: Has new album, midlife crisis.

PANEL DISCUSSION: Former DA challenges constitutionality of judicial review panels, which reconsider and sometimes reduce prison sentences.

SINO THE TIMES: Perdue takes inaugural Atlanta-to-Shanghai flight to promote Georgia in China.

NOW MUSEUM: Now you don’t. Georgia Museum of Natural History is given a 44-acre archaeological site, which includes Indian mounds and artifacts, but the nine-year-old museum still doesn’t have an exhibition space. Its collections are stored in various buildings around Athens, where it’s based.

WRESTLEMANIA: Simulated mania becomes genuine mania for fans in Orlando.

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I need to start eating more cod liver oil or ginseng. My memory is deteriorating.

I heard two weeks ago that Steven Spielberg quit his gig as artistic muckety-muck for the 2008 Beijing Olympics to protest China’s support for the Sudanese government’s genocidal killings in Darfur.

But only ten minutes ago did I remember I wrote last year about how Spielberg didn’t seem to have any problem with China’s actions until actress Mia Farrow publicly shamed him.

Wrote Farrow in a Wall Street Journal op-ed:

“Does Mr. Spielberg really want to go down in history as the Leni Riefenstahl of the Beijing Games?”

Nearly one year since Farrow publicly asked the question, Spielberg has finally answered no.

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Delta says it has purchased two new 777s for the trip from ATL to Shanghai. No word on if they’ll be painted with lead paint or employ Christian slave labor from Chinese work camps.

— Erick at Peach Pundit abdicates his Crown Room Club privileges with this comment about the just-announced nonstop Delta flight from Atlanta to Shanghai.

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Is anyone else just completely embarrassed by our president? I mean, that speech yesterday was just a complete hypocritical slap in the face of the rest of the world; not to mention a complete “out of left field moment” at times (BURMA? REALLY? WTF?!).

— Duane Moody is embarrassed because, among other things, President Bush mentioned Burma during his speech to the United Nations.

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Join the MurrFurs as we take on the “USS Republic Klingons” in their second annual Bowling Challenge!

— atlanta_furs cordially invites you to the Furries vs. Klingons bowling tournament on Saturday.

Do yourself a favor and follow the link.

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Shanghai will soon be assaulted by fanny packs and funny accents. Delta Air Lines officially announced today that our hometown airline, starting March 30, 2008, will provide nonstop flights between Atlanta and the Chinese city.

If all of the wishful thinking Gov. Perdue utters at press conferences comes true — much like how he did this Delta deal several weeks ago when he announced the arrival of our benevolent friends Sany Heavy Industry to Peachtree City — then look for Atlanta to get the next Chinese consulate. And after that a pretty pony. Followed by a Jet Ski. A Jet Ski that runs on wishes.

Why the nonstop flight to China? Because it takes too long to dig through the Earth! Ha! Ugh. Seriously, Georgia has been perfecting its mating dance for quite some time in hoping to attract foreign industry and establish good ties with the nation. It’s paid off, too. I pass the mic to MC Press Release:

In June 2006, Chinese food processing machinery manufacturer Ningbo Lehui Food Machinery Co., Ltd. announced that it had formed a joint venture with New Jersey-based W.Y. Industries, Inc. That joint venture, Kingwasong LLC, is now building a plant in Newnan, creating 200 jobs and attracting $12 million to $15 million in new investment to the area. In May 2007, China-based General Protecht Group purchased 211 acres of land in Barnesville, Lamar County, to build an assembly and distribution facility for electrical products, wired devices, and other related products.

“We are able to attract Chinese manufacturers half a world away because we’ve got everything they need: a home base located in the heart of the nation’s fastest-growing region, a low cost of doing business and access to the world through our international airport,” said Sam A. Williams, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, which took an active role in encouraging the project. “Now we’re working on attracting a Chinese consulate to Atlanta and a direct air route to China.”

There’s that consulate goal. Go team! I raise a glass to thee, China. May we somehow learn to stop sullying our environment together, reach higher ground as civilizations and find strength in our common goals.

Plus, we can commiserate together — their subway system looks like it might just be as bad as ours! Well, maybe not as bad.

After the jump, more press release facts about Georgia and China. So happy together …

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